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CBS announces Arkansas men’s basketball’s Thanksgiving game against Illinois | Whole Hog Sports

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CBS announces Arkansas men’s basketball’s Thanksgiving game against Illinois | Whole Hog Sports


FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas men’s basketball is reportedly set to play Illinois at a “planned Thanksgiving event” at 3 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center.

Illinois athletics director Josh Whitman confirmed the game during an annual media roundtable, according to reports Thursday. Whitman reportedly said the game will be televised by CBS following the network’s NFL game that day between the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears, which would put it around 3 p.m..

CBS announced the game Friday.

“What a great opportunity CBS is giving Arkansas and Illinois. Thanksgiving is a day that gets all of America — whether you are a sports fan or not — watching sports on TV,” Arkansas coach John Calipari said in a release. “Playing in this time slot will provide tremendous exposure for both programs. … We have a great deal of respect for Coach [Brad] Underwood, and we know this game will be one the whole nation will be interested in seeing.”

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“We are thrilled for this opportunity,” Underwood added in the release. “Playing in Kansas City — a tremendous basketball city that is near and dear to me — and taking on a great opponent in Arkansas, led by a Hall of Fame Coach in Coach Calipari, is a big test for our team.”

Arkansas will also reportedly face Arkansas-Little Rock on Nov. 22; go to Miami for the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 3; the Jimmy V. Classic against Michigan on Dec. 10 at Madison Square Garden in New York; a game against Central Arkansas on Dec. 14 in North Little Rock; host North Carolina A&T on Dec. 21; and a home game against Oakland on Dec. 30.

The Razorbacks will play Illinois for the second time in three seasons. Arkansas defeated the Fighting Illini 73-63 during the first round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa. 

The teams were part of the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City in November 2021 but did not play against each other. Illinois has a 5-1 lead in the all-time series against Arkansas. 

Like the Razorbacks, the Fighting Illini will have a new-look roster heading into the 2024-25 season, with Terrence Shannon and Marcus Damask both graduating and Coleman Hawkins (Kansas State) and Dain Dainja (Memphis) transferring. Illinois needed to replace production from its Elite Eight run and did so through the transfer portal.

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Illinois lost to eventual champion Connecticut in the national quarterfinal.

Coach Brad Underwood added impact transfers. Kylan Boswell (Arizona) is the standout name, but Ben Humrichous (Evansville), Jake Davis (Mercer), Carey Booth (Notre Dame) and Tre Davis (Louisville) will be expected to contribute. Underwood also added freshman Tomislav Ivisic, the brother of Arkansas’ Zvonimir Ivisic.

Ty Rodgers is Illinois’ leading returner after starting in every game last season, averaging 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He and sophomore Dra Gibbs-Lawthorn could be expected to take on larger roles.

Arkansas’ roster first roster under Calipari consists of returners Trevon Brazile and walk-on Lawson Blake, who will miss time with a ruptured Achillies; transfers Ivisic (Kentucky), Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), Adou Thiero (Kentucky), DJ Wagner (Kentucky), Melo Sanchez(Hawaii Pacific) and walk-on Kareem Watkins (Kentucky); and freshmen Karter Knox, Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, Billy Richmond, Jaden Karuletwa, Ayden Kelly and Casmir Chavis.

This story was originally published on June 6 and was updated on Aug. 16 when CBS announced the game.

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Big Ten tournament preview: An Illinois-Michigan rematch Saturday at the UC would be huge

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Big Ten tournament preview: An Illinois-Michigan rematch Saturday at the UC would be huge


The 29th Big Ten men’s basketball tournament starts Tuesday and ends Sunday at the United Center, where the champion will snip down the nets while the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal furiously gets underway.

In keeping with tradition, the NCAA selection committee will claim to have factored the Big Ten final into its seeding even though it — how to put this? — did not.

Unlike last year, when 15 teams made the Big Ten field, this tourney will include all 18 teams and begin a day sooner, because clearly a five-day event just wasn’t long enough.

A team-by-team glimpse, in order of seeding (odds via FanDuel):

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1. MICHIGAN (29-2, 19-1)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +105.

Snip? If the ginormous frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. brutalizes foes like it did Illinois in Champaign, it’s over-and-out for everybody else.

Or slip? Point guard Elliot Cadeau might wear down with injured L.J. Cason unable to spell him.

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2. NEBRASKA (25-5, 15-5)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +1000.

Snip? No team plays harder at the defensive end, and the Huskers move the ball beautifully on offense. Is it shooter Pryce Sandfort’s time to shine?

Or slip? Is coach Fred Hoiberg allowed to win a championship at the UC? Asking for a few million friends.

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3. MICHIGAN STATE (25-6, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 8 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +650.

Snip? Jeremy Fears is one of the best playmakers around, and we are bound by law to say it’s hard to beat Tom Izzo in March.

Or slip? As tough as this team is, it lacks the kind of star power we’ve often seen in green.

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4. ILLINOIS (24-7, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +470.

Snip? If freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic hold up to postseason competition, the shooters around them will give the Illini a shot to win it for the third time in the 2020s.

Or slip? The Illini likely would have to get past Michigan in the semis, and the first meeting was ugly.

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5. WISCONSIN (22-9, 14-6)

Next: Washington-USC winner, approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? The team that popped Purdue for 97 points to ruin the Boilermakers’ Senior Day can beat anybody.

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Or slip? The team that ham-fisted its way through recent lopsided losses at Ohio State and Oregon isn’t going anywhere.

6. UCLA (21-10, 13-7)

Next: Minnesota-Rutgers winner, approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? When point guard Donovan Dent is on his game, this offense — particularly shooter Tyler Bilodeau — is dangerous.

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Or slip? The Bruins are a different team, and not in a good way, away from home.

7. PURDUE (23-8, 13-7)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +550.

Snip? Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer have been there so many times before.

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Or slip? Who would’ve believed the Boilers would tumble all the way to seventh? Something’s off with Matt Painter’s crew.

8. OHIO STATE (20-11, 12-8)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +7500.

Snip? Bruce Thornton, the school’s career scoring leader, isn’t the only Buckeye who can fill it up.

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Or slip? Statistically, this team is right down the middle in the conference. That has “also-ran” written all over it.

9. IOWA (20-11, 10-10)

Next: Oregon-Maryland winner, 11 a.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +5000.

Snip? Guard Bennett Stirtz is terrific, and first-year coach Ben McCollum’s postseason record (most of it at Northwest Missouri State) is unreal.

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Or slip? Stirtz doesn’t have a whole lot in the way of sidekicks.

10. INDIANA (18-13, 9-11)

Next: Northwestern-Penn State winner, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +10000.

Snip? Guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Big Ten in scoring in league play and had multiple 40-plus-point games.

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Or slip? Look, it’s a football school and the whole world knows it.

11. MINNESOTA (15-16, 8-12)

Next: Rutgers, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Gophers have beaten three higher seeds, one of them Michigan State.

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Or slip? Minnesota still hasn’t won this tournament. Why start now?

12. WASHINGTON (15-16, 7-13)

Next: USC, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +20000.

Snip? The Huskies went 3-3 down the stretch and had late leads in two of the losses.

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Or slip? One NCAA win in the last 14 years kind of says it all.

13. USC (18-13, 7-13)

Next: Washington, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? A 4-1 stretch that began at Wisconsin looked really good.

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Or slip? There have been seven straight losses since then, and star Chad Baker-Mazara was just booted from the program.

14. RUTGERS (13-18, 6-14)

Next: Minnesota, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: N/A.

Snip? A lot of steals and not many turnovers from this squad.

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Or slip? Every league win came against Penn State, Maryland, Oregon or Northwestern.

Nick Martinelli

Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning basket during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Maryland in Evanston, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) ORG XMIT: ILNH117

15. NORTHWESTERN (13-18, 5-15)

Next: Penn State, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The name’s Nick Martinelli. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

Or slip? And then there are the rest of the Wildcats.

16. OREGON (12-19, 5-15)

Next: Maryland, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Ducks won four of seven down the stretch. They aren’t total pushovers.

Or slip? Injured Jackson Shelstad isn’t entering the building. At least not in shorts.

17. MARYLAND (11-20, 4-16)

Next: Oregon, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Freshman guard Andre Mills has been going off and scored 39 at Northwestern.

Or slip? Uh, the Terrapins still lost in Evanston.

18. PENN STATE (12-19, 3-17)

Next: Northwestern, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Aside from being utterly terrible at defense, rebounding and three-point shooting, the Nittany Lions are merely subpar.

Or slip? Gee, you think?



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1 injured in Orland Park, Illinois, townhouse fire; firefighters hampered by hoarding

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1 injured in Orland Park, Illinois, townhouse fire; firefighters hampered by hoarding



One person was injured this weekend in a townhome fire in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park, which officials said may have been exacerbated by hoarding.

The Orland Fire Protection District was called Saturday afternoon for the fire in a two-story, four-unit townhome complex the 9100 block of Greencastle Lane in Orland Park. Firefighters arrived at 1:43 p.m.

There was no obvious evidence that the townhouse complex was on fire when firefighters arrived, but they later found a basement fire involving the end unit of the complex, the district said.

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Orland Fire Protection District


All occupants were evacuated from the attached townhouses as firefighters went in. They entered the front door with a hose, but found “mounds of obstacles” in the way, the district said.

Fire crews found what were believed to be heavy hoarding conditions obstructing the path to the basement, the district said. Multiple crews had to come in to clear everything out of the way to get to the fire.

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Orland Fire Protection District


One homeowner was treated for a minor head injury, but declined to go to the hospital, the district said.

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Orland Fire Protection District

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The cause of the fire was under investigation Sunday.



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Illinois Attorney General Office suing Lockport McDonald’s for violating child labor laws

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Illinois Attorney General Office suing Lockport McDonald’s for violating child labor laws



The Illinois Attorney General is suing a suburban McDonald’s restaurant, accusing the operator of overworking teens, some for 17 hours straight.

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The lawsuit alleges the Lockport location owned by Nicholas J. Kory and Lockor LLC violated 568 Illinois Child Labor Laws in 2023.

The restaurant allegedly worked children aged 14 and 15 years old for longer than 8 hours without rest and meal breaks. One minor worked until 1:30 a.m.

The Illinois Department of Labor is seeking over $2.1 million for victims, which the company has not paid.

In a statement, the local owner said, “We are committed to ensuring that all our employees feel safe, respected, and valued. We have taken steps to address concerns that have been raised.”

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